I love you
by melle66
Summary: Lin's day has been beyond awful. Bumi is succeeding at making it worse, or isn't he? Lin X Bumi, Linumi.
1. Need something?

"So then I jumped on the moving vehicle and faced three…" was saying an excited Bumi before he was harshly interrupted by the chief of police.

"Did you seriously call me to tell me one of your delusional stories?" The day was getting hotter by minute, and wearing an armor made out of metal was becoming unbearable. Sitting on an uncomfortable chair, talking to Bumi, was Lin Beifong. This day had been, by far, the worst day of her week, and she had to gather all her willpower to stop herself from slapping someone's face. The new recruits had started a fight in the station which she had to stop almost on her own. Then, Saikhan had signed the wrong papers and their requirement for a raise in the Police's budget would take another six months. The day's events had taken away what little patience she had and Bumi was certainly not making it easier. He was about to defend the veracity of his words, but decided against it when he saw Lin frowning with her arms crossed over her chest. Instead, he stood up and looked at one side, pretending to be offended.

"Ah! Well, I was under the impression you'd like my stories, considering how similar our jobs are…"

Lin rolled her eyes at him and slammed her hand against the closest wall. The man drove her crazy with his irresponsibility and his carefree spirit.

"Bumi, how dare you tell me you have an emergency and end up wasting my time with your nonsense?!"

Bumi stared at her with eyes and mouth wide open. He hadn't meant to make her mad. He realized his actions had been careless and there was little he could do to help himself. He scratched his head awkwardly before giving a step towards the metalbender. Clearing his throat, he noticed she hadn't changed her expression in the slightest.

"That's not what I asked you to come, to be honest…"

Lin stared at him with her impatience written all over her body, which made him unable to suppress a grin. He loved how hard she tried to hide her curiosity and wondered if he'd be able to make her beg him to speak up.

"But if you're too busy, I guess I should go…"

Before he could even think to stand up, she had already used her bending to close the door and lock it. He shot her an innocent look and shrugged as if he wasn't intimidated by her actions. Without another word, he sat back down on the edge of his bed and started whistling. He could feel Lin staring at him intently, but he gave no sign of noticing it until she cleared her throat loudly. In that moment he looked up at her, eyebrows raised questioningly.

"Need something?" he asked with a smirk on his face.

All she wanted now was to go home, take off her armor and throw herself into the shower. Yes, taking off her armor was exactly what she needed. Realizing he had managed to lure her into his game, Lin decided to at least be comfortable. Truth was that she didn't mind having an excuse to leave her office, especially if said excuse was Bumi. Yes, the man drove her crazy, but it wasn't a bad kind of crazy. Over the past few years they had been dancing around each other, finding absurd reasons to meet and spend time together. The problem was that none of them was willing to admit such feelings. With a long sigh, she took off her armor, earning a long stare from the man sitting in the edge of his bed. The moment the armor touched the floor, Lin regretted taking it off in the first place. The day had been so hot, her white tank top was practically glued to her body due to the sweat, and she couldn't help but blush when she noticed the way Bumi was looking at her.

"Spit it out already, Bumi," she said as coldly as she could. She ran a hand through her hair impatiently, and then crossed her arms over her chest, "What do you want?"

Bumi, who was as amused as she was uncomfortable, forced himself to look back into her eyes. He knew they were walking on thin ice and wasn't sure of how much he could push the situation without risking his friendship with Lin, but he couldn't live the rest of his life with doubt. Could he? He lazily laid in bed with his arms folded over his head and a grin on his face. Man! How he hoped he was accurately hiding his thoughts from her. He took a deep breath and mentally counted to three.

"I want you"

He wasn't sure of how it had happened, of how she had ended up in his arms, kissing his neck feverishly. All he knew was that he would not complain about it. His senses woke up completely as he tried to take everything about her in; the scent of her hair, how soft her skin was. Bumi placed his hands on her hips and gently maneuvered her so he was now on top of her. Lin fell on the pillows with a gasp, and for a moment their eyes met. To his surprise, the look in her eyes wasn't filled with lust or desire. Her gaze was so warm that he didn't realize he had remained motionless until she placed a hand on his cheek. He blinked twice before shooting her a sly smile.

"Is there a problem?" she whispered. He realized she was nervous by the way her hand on his cheek was shaking. Lin Beifong, the one who could make almost everyone back down with just a glance, was looking at him with apprehension. How long had it been since she had last been with a man? Had someone made her feel wanted and loved recently? Bumi could only wonder, but he would make her realize how much she meant for him. He gently combed her hair back with his fingers, getting it out of her face, and leaned down to kiss her.

Lin shivered when she felt one of his hands tugging at her shirt. He was taking full control of the situation and she silently thanked him for that. Bumi pulled her up long enough to take her tank top off. Once that was done, he slid his hand up her back and unclasped her bra. She felt herself blushing again, and tried to cover herself out of reflex, but Bumi gently grabbed her wrists and moved them over her head. Still smiling at her, he leaned down again and softly kissed one of her breasts. He then took it in her mouth and gently sucked at the nipple, eliciting soft sighs from her. Before she knew, her hand was buried in his hair and her eyes closed when she felt a bulge press against her. His hands were moving all around her torso, occasionally squeezing here and there, but then they moved lower and started stripping her from her pants and underwear. Lin took a deep breath when he moved away from her breast to completely remove her clothes. Once she had nothing on her, he quickly moved to undo his suit, and she couldn't help but sit up and help him get rid of it.

The little patience they both had was now over. He pulled her close to kissed her deeply, their tongues fighting for territory. Lin's arms found their way to his back and she opened her legs invitingly. He took a moment to just look at the woman. Her porcelain skin was pearled with sweat because of the heat; her breasts went up and down, following her breathing, and her emerald eyes were looking at him almost pleadingly.

"Bumi…"

It was barely a whisper, but he loved the way his name sounded when it was said by her. He wanted her to say it again, to fill the room with her voice. He wanted her to whisper it, yes, but he also wanted her to scream. With no more hesitation, he entered her and was surprised by how tight she felt. His lips moved to her neck, and he felt her nails digging in his back. He started moving his hips in a steady rhythm and placed his hands on her legs the moment she wrapped them around his torso, roughly squeezing her thighs.

Soft whimpers came out of her mouth and he realized she was holding back. Chuckling, he moved away from her neck and looked at her. Her eyes were closed and she was biting on her lower lip. He kissed her lips again, and slowed down the rhythm of his hips, which caused her to open her eyes.

"My Lin…" he cupped her face with his hand and gently stroked her cheek with his thumb, "I love you so much."

His words seemed to trigger something inside her. Her arm shot upwards, embracing his neck and bringing him into a kiss. She invaded his mouth with her tongue and took advantage of his distraction to push him so that she was now on top of him. He tried to fight her and switch places again, but the metalbender quickly straddled him and thrust hard, causing Bumi to groan. His hands found her hips and slowly moved upwards to cup her breasts. By the time he started massaging them, she already felt overwhelmed. He filled her perfectly and she tightened around him with every movement.

Driven by her moans, he moved up to capture one of her breasts in his mouth. He kissed and sucked, leaving small marks, and she held his head in place with her arms. His hands slid from her sides to her hips, and then to her lower back, where he squeezed hard. She moaned loudly and pounded against him, forcing their bodies together with her legs. He held her in his strong arms and rolled over once again. This earned him a smile from Lin, who couldn't decide where to place her hands. They roamed his chest, and then lower, only to move at his sides and then back at his chest. Bumi chuckled and let his hands caress Lin's arms until he reached her hands. He intertwined his fingers with hers and moved her hands so that they were at each side of her face.

"I love you so much" he growled to her ear. She went back at kissing his neck between loud moans, "I love you, Lin" he repeated.

Lin tried to reply just as she felt herself close to her climax, so she settled for repeating his name over and over again. Bumi's movements became arrhythmic and fast; and she could feel him release his seed inside her, but he didn't stop moving. He managed to slow down slightly and he pounded as deep as he could, which caused her to close her eyes and tighten her grip on his hands. After a few more minutes, he felt her legs tensing around him. Her back arched and his name came out of her mouth as a loud moan. Once her back touched the mattress again, Bumi slid out of her and lazily fell by her side, pulling her into his arms as they both tried to catch their breath.

"I love you too" she whispered softly. He felt her arms circling him hesitantly, and looked down at her, surprised when his eyes met her smile. Their lips collided again, but it was a short kiss this time. She let out a contented sigh before resting her head on his chest.

"I'm sorry I got you out of work, by the way" he said as he buried his face in her hair.

She started laughing, softly at first, and then loudly. Looking back at him, she shook her head and playfully rolled her eyes.

"I won't mind getting more emergency calls from you" she promised with a smile. Her eyes were shining in a way Bumi had never seen before, "Besides, you still need to tell me what happened after you jumped on that moving vehicle" she joked before she kissed him again.


	2. Just Like Then

Lin woke up feeling something wrapping around her. Darkness and silence surrounded her and she was immediately reminded of another time where she found herself on her own. She tried to move her arms, but they were being held strongly. Out of reflex, she moved her legs, but found it useless as well, just like then. Thinking quickly, she considered bending what restrained her and realized that, just like then, she couldn't help herself with her bending.

It was her nightmare coming back. Only once in her life had she felt completely useless, and it had been thanks to Amon. Ever since she lost her bending, in spite of getting it back, the memory of it was a recurring nightmare. In her dreams, however, there would come a point in which she'd wake up from it. When that happened, Lin would get up from bed, go to her backyard and spend her time bending until dawn. This time it was different, though. No matter how much she tried, she still couldn't move. The worst part was not being able to see a thing. There was something right in front of her, preventing her from looking around. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, but it only made it worse. Lin could see those equalists through the rain. She remembered Amon's words as if it had been only yesterday, and felt the emptiness overcome her once more.

Lin cried. At least she tried to, although the only thing that came through her mouth was a gasp.

"Lin?" asked a sleepy voice coming from the wall in front of her. The arms that were holding her moved to caress her comfortingly and, as his legs slid away from hers, Bumi placed a soft kiss on her cheek.

"Lin, what's wrong?" he whispered, pulling away from her to try and look into her eyes, but she buried her face on his chest quickly. She had forgotten the events of the previous day. How she hadn't left Bumi's side until after lunch, and then found him waiting at her home's door when she arrived at night. For a moment she had assumed she was on her own, the way she had been for so many years. Still charged with adrenaline because of the nightmare, a few tears escaped her eyes, making Bumi's chest damp. He didn't make more questions, settling for holding her tightly instead. Unable to stop herself, Lin started crying in his arms. As a response to her shaking shoulders, he placed gentle kisses all over her face and held her until her breath evened.

"I'm sorry, Bumi" she muttered after a while. He kissed her forehead once more and gently pulled her chin up to make her look at him.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Bumi wasn't surprised when she shook her head. As softly as he could, he pulled away from her and got out of bed, lazily putting on his clothes. Lin lifted her head from the pillows and thought of what to say so he wouldn't leave, but her mind wasn't cooperating in that precise moment. She watched him go with her mouth half open before her head fell back on the pillow. How could she be so stupid? How could she keep complaining about being alone all the time if she kept pushing everyone out of her life? Bumi cared, why not opening up to him? What was she so afraid of? Of making him leave? Well, she had just made sure he did. People tried to reach her, but she cut them out before they could get to close. Look at how she had treated Opal when the girl asked her to let her in her life. Now she had managed to do the same to Bumi.

"I'm so stupid" she mumbled against the pillow, and almost jumped out of bed when she felt a hand squeeze her hip.

"No, you're not" he whispered to her ear before kissing her cheek. Lin propped herself on her hands and turned over to sit up. He scooted close to her and she saw he was holding a cup of tea in one hand. He held it out for her to take, "I made you some tea."

Taking the drink in her hands she took a sip. It tasted sweet and was refreshing. She could think of two other times in which her tea had been that way. The first one was when Tenzin got married. Bumi had sneaked out of the party to go and visit her. They had talked for hours, and when it seemed like she had nothing else to say, he had gone to her kitchen and come back with tea. The second time was a few days after Amon was defeated. Lin had used her house as a shelter and only went out when strictly necessary. No one had managed to get past her door during those days. Except for Bumi, she assumed, who had broken in only to find her asleep. She woke up when she was shaken from her slumber, but as she opened her eyes, she only saw the hot beverage on her night stand and no sign of Bumi.

Back then, she had taken his gestures as simple acts of kindness so that she didn't feel alone. Maybe even out of pity. Last night, however, made her realize there was always a hidden motive. Without much thinking, she placed the mug in her nightstand and hugged Bumi as tight as she could. He chuckled, bringing his lips down to kiss her and carefully pushing her back down to the mattress. She let him move his hands all over her and soon they had stripped each other from their clothes. He pulled away from her slightly and placed a hand on the curve of her waist. She looked him into the eyes thinking of what to tell him. Lin didn't want to let go of any opportunity to tell him what she felt. She wouldn't give him a single reason to believe she yearned to be alone.

"I love you" she managed to say, and she hated herself for it. Those three words sounded so blunt, so out of place that she wished she hadn't said them in the first place. He deserved better than that and she was unable to find a way to convey what she felt. Bumi was always surprised by how insecure Lin was. He thought it was funny how she always kept trying to find a better way to do things, how she struggled to be right when, in fact, she was already perfect. He kissed her again, slowly, so she realized her words meant a lot for him. He kissed her neck softly and trailed down to her chest, eliciting soft cries from her. Without stopping there, he moved to kiss the side of her waist and then lower, to her legs. Then, he went all the way back to meet her lips and met her hand when it touched his cheek.

Lin moved her hand to the back of his neck and pulled him towards her. Her movement was rushed and clumsy. It revealed both her lack of experience, –or maybe it had been too long since her last time- and her eagerness. Instead of having their lips meet, their noses collided, making Bumi laugh as she chuckled. He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her softly before entering her. Lin broke from the kiss with closed eyes. A loud moan escaped her lips and Bumi could actually see her body relaxing. He only began to move against her when she opened her eyes with a smile, and her hips soon matched his.

Whether or not this was the right thing to do, he was not sure. All he knew was that he needed Lin to know how much he wanted her. Maybe it was just the look in her eyes that told him, or the way she clung to him when they made love, but Bumi knew she was afraid he would leave. Lin would never dare to ask him to stay. None of them had been born to work words out; they were used to doing things, not talking them. Words were wind. They were spoken and then left for someone else to catch. Words didn't have the power to reassure Lin.

He kissed the metalbender's lips, and then moved down to her neck. When he felt her arms wrap around his torso, he decided to imitate her and encircle her waist with his arms as well. They stayed like that, breathing against each other's neck until they were done, and even after, only Bumi rolled them over so she was resting on top of him. Silence came over them until Bumi looked down at Lin. In the dim light, he could see her eyes were clothes and her body moved up and down as she breathed.

"Lin?"

As a reply, Lin lifter her head, resting her chin on his chest to meet his stare. What could he say? What could he tell her so she never felt alone again? It was truth that words didn't weight most of the time, but sometimes they were all there was.

"Don't leave me" he whispered.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I decided to write a second chapter to this. I hope you like it!**

**Happy birthday, my friend!**


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